


Practice makes perfect

by bunnysworld



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-06-24
Updated: 2013-06-24
Packaged: 2017-12-15 23:58:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 872
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/855459
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bunnysworld/pseuds/bunnysworld
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Merlin's magic runs wild and there is a reason for it</p>
            </blockquote>





	Practice makes perfect

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to issy for the beta. Everything that's still in there is entirely my own. Typos are up for adoption ;)
> 
> This was written for Camelot_drabble, prompt 63: Hididng

Merlin ran. He had to find a place to hide where nobody would see his tears. It had happened again and this time, he just must have noticed.

He’d always known that he was different. Even as a baby he was able to control things around him with his magic. It wasn’t that bad. But now, at seventeen, his magic ran wild. Doctors and healers had said it was normal to lose the grip on one’s magic while going through puberty, but he was far beyond puberty. He had always been careful. 

But now his control on the forces seemed to slip all the time. There were chemistry projects he set on fire, light bulbs that exploded, locker doors bursting open and it felt as if there was nothing he could do about it. And only a few minutes ago, when Arthur had finally kissed him, everything had gone down-hill even further.

Merlin found a place under the bleachers and sat in the far corner, hugging his knees to his chest, burying his face, letting his tears run freely. He hadn’t even made sure that Arthur was okay. He was such a coward. His magic had erupted around them, destroyed a few light bulbs and their text books, conjured a storm in the room that blew everything across the place and flipped chairs and desks over when their lips finally touched and had left Arthur with grime on his face, his hair all over the place and his t-shirt torn. 

He suspected he didn’t look any better, but Merlin didn’t care. Damn magic. It only destroyed everything, leaving him with never getting what he wanted. It was a well-known fact that Arthur’s father despised magic, hated it with every fiber of his being and had set out on a crusade against all things magic ages ago. How could Arthur still want anything to do with him, now that his magic had literally blown everything up?

“Merlin?”

Sniffling, Merlin looked up and wiped his nose on the back of his hand when he noticed Arthur kneeling next to him. 

“I…,” Merlin hiccupped, “I’m sorry.”

Arthur shook his head and looked at Merlin curiously. 

“I know you hate magic, that’s why I never told anyone before. Well, Gwen knows and Lance does, too. But you hate it and…and…” Merlin didn’t really know how to stop the rambling. 

“I don’t hate magic.”

“…and my mam says it’s better kept secret in this town and I was able to control it all the time, but somehow now…it’s gone and ruined everything and now you hate me and…”

“Merlin, I said I don’t hate magic.” Arthur scrambled closer and sat next to Merlin. 

“You…you don’t?” Merlin sniffed again, but for a moment, the tears in his eyes forgot to fall.

Arthur shook his head. “I…I think father’s wrong. Magic is not evil. People are evil.”

Nodding, Merlin sniffled and turned to look at Arthur. 

“And I’ve talked to Gaius, he thinks…”

Was that a blush on Arthur’s face? Popular, cool Arthur Pendragon was…blushing? But then the words registered.

“You…you talked to Uncle Gaius?” Merlin almost shrieked. 

“Yeah,” Arthur plucked at the threads of the fashionable tear in his jeans. “He said that when a warlock…”

A wave of emotion surged through Merlin. Arthur had called him a warlock. Not a wizard, like most people did. Merlin hated when magic users were called wizards, it sounded so much like Harry Potter and wands and all that childish crap. A warlock was a different thing. The word alone was much more powerful. 

“…when a warlock…when he,” Arthur stuttered, “when they really like someone, their magic can get out of hand and…and do what yours did.” He threw Merlin a sideways look.

“Oh.” So…so his feelings for Arthur had revealed his secret and his magic had given away his feelings for Arthur. That was just too complicated. “How…how did you know that I was…I am…”

Arthur chuckled. “Come on. Exploded light bulbs? Locker doors slamming open when you pass by? The janitor’s mop running away on its own with Jerry chasing it across the hallway? It wasn’t that hard to figure out. I’m not as stupid as people like to think.”

“It’s only ever happened when you’re around.” Merlin held his breath, he hadn’t meant to give that fact away. 

Bumping shoulders with Merlin, Arthur smiled. “Gaius said stuff like that was normal when…” His expression turned serious. “Is it true? Do you really…”

Merlin nodded slightly. Yes, he liked Arthur, a lot more than he’d ever liked anyone before. “Yeah…”

Reaching over and gently cupping Merlin’s face, Arthur pulled Merlin close and kissed him softly. He pulled back and laughed when magic crackled along the bleachers. 

“I’m…I’m sorry. I…” Merlin pulled back almost violently and his shoulders slumped.

Pulling him back against him, Arthur grinned. “You know what else Gaius said?”

Merlin just shook his head, feeling miserable.

“If we just practice long enough, you will be able to contain your magic in these situations.”

“Pr…practice?” Merlin looked at Arthur with wide watery eyes.

“Come here, idiot.” Arthur leaned in again and they practiced all afternoon.


End file.
